FEAR OF FLYING
by Neil Davies1
Summary: Stealing a skimmer is one thing but reaching the dome quite another, especially when you're under fire and the teleport isn't working.


3

FEAR OF FLYING

Rooted to the spot, heart in her mouth Delva couldn't move she could barely breathe; death had come surprisingly swiftly and she wasn't ready for it.

Was the Doctor afraid, if so his voice didn't betray it speaking in that calm plumy way of his?

"May we at least see the face of our executioner," he asked, "I'd like to look you in the eye."

The gunman seemed to consider this then reaching up with his free hand he flipped the visor away.

It wasn't a real face; surely it was some kind of mask. The face was waxy and stiff it looked painted or sprayed on, the unblinking eye shad a glassy quality and the mouth wasn't an aperture it was a horizontal red gash. The man spoke through a grill on his throat.

"Is this better," he asked?

"Androids," the Doctor exhaled, "well why not if everything else is artificial why shouldn't you be as well?"

The android regarded him without a trace of emotion, "You're my first kill of the day, it will be a pleasure to silence your chattering mouth."

"Pleasure," Delva found her voice at last, "What do machines know about that?"

"I'm more than a mere machine," the reply was tart in the extreme almost a rebuke like the android was offended by her remark.

"Are you," the Doctor questioned, "I wonder," he had the sonic in his right hand and flipped it on filling the air with a new note, strident and ear piercing. The man in the airlock began to shake and stagger, his limbs vibrating and legs bucking.

His gun erupted into the air but missing his two targets he blew a plastic tree in half.

Delva didn't miss her swing bang on target, hard and accurate. The head of the droid left its body behind flying back into the skimmer to bang and clatter noisily, the body continued to twist and shake before collapsing chest down on the turf.

"Howzat," the Doctor declared, "Straight into the pavilion," he grinned, "My old kendo master would have been impressed," leaping into the small craft he found the head and placed it on a shelf to tinker around with the wires of the neck like a kid with a toy.

Delva sat in the pilot's seat and did a very professional systems check before closing the airlock, "I was a skim-kid, learned the fly these things when I was twelve, at fourteen I was beating grown men in races."

Looking up with a raised eyebrow the Doctor nodded appreciatively, "To the dome it is then and don't spare the horses."

Delva shook her head, sometimes she didn't understand this man at all but she got the gist and the small ship rose into the air, did a U-turn and began to accelerate.

"Fascinating design this droid," the Doctor finished exposing circuit boards, "One of the most complex I've ever encountered and I've seen a few," he moved into the belly of the ship to a plinth ringed by four glass columns, the teleport system their way into the dome, he had to figure out how it worked and what range it had.

"We're being scanned," Delva looked down at a winking red light, "It's locked onto us."

"It," the time lord enquired in a distracted voice?

"Another skimmer, I think they've worked out that this one is appropriated."

Smiling at the word the Doctor fiddled with the main teleport console, finding it much simpler than the droid; surprisingly commonplace in fact.

Delva increased speed and height, she hadn't lost any of her old skills, "I'll see if I can outrun him," banking left sharply she threw the Doctor onto his back; it was a good job he'd learned break falling.

"Take it easy."

"Sorry but the other pilot is good to, I can't let him get a weapons lock or we're really in trouble."

Back on his feet and busy exploring the teleport the tall man rubbed his bruised side, "How far are we from the dome?"

"Two kilometres."

"Not close enough to beam in unless I extend the focusing arch matrix."

The ship banked again but this time the Doctor was holding onto a support strut with one hand whilst he used his sonic with the other, reconfiguring the very core of the teleporter.

"He's catching up," Delva tried another manoeuvre, losing height rapidly and doing a right angle turn, "That bought us some time."

"Just get us to within a kilometre of the dome; I should be able to beam us down from there."

"That's amazing these systems are normally very short-range."

"You'd be amazed how many transmats I've jury rigged in my time."

The sound of an alarm made them both stiffen, a screen flashed on WEAPONS LOCK INITIATED it was hardly good news.

This is it thought Delva as she put the skimmer to top speed now heading straight for their destination, "Ten seconds," she said.

"Until they destroy us?"

"No we'll be in teleport range by then."

But the craft suddenly rocked violently its interior juddering and a long jagged crack appearing in the fuselage, sparks burst from the consoles and Delva yanked her hands free just in time to avoid getting burned.

"Main gyro's gone we're in free fall, it was a lucky shot."

Abandoning her seat she ran back to join him as the skimmer began to plummet, "I hope you've got that thing working because nothing else is."

Features grim the Doctor added one last burst of sonic energy, "Are we in range?"

"No idea I did the best I could."

"Then we'll have to hope it was good enough, stand on the plinth."

Doing so Delva offered her hand, taking it the time lord joined her, he no longer looked so poised or confident, "This could be a rocky ride," he said, as if in sympathy the skimmer rocked from side to side, more fires erupted, "Or should I say a rockier ride," he corrected himself.

In the main windscreen the jungle loomed up towards them, sharp thrusting tree tops that would impale the small craft and split it in half.

"When you're ready Doctor."

He buzzed the controls, the energy light stayed red it should have turned green.

"Ah slight problem."

"We're about to crash and explode," Delva cried her nerve going completely. The Doctor tried again a longer buzz, no green light. He shook the sonic,

"Third time lucky," he said through gritted teeth just the skimmer hit the first tree, which smashed right through the windscreen like a javelin.

NEXT EPISODE 'Under the dome'


End file.
